And hoped ale



(No Model.)

0. A. LITTLE FIELD.

LOOM.

No. 600,836. Patnted Mar. 15,1898.

' tron.

CHARLES A. LITTLEFIELD, OF LOWELL,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN OR TO THE DRAPER COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, ANDHOPEDALE, MASSA- OHUSETTS.

LOOIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 600,836, dated March 15, 1898. Application filed October 8, 1897. Serial No. 654,50'7. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. LITTLE- FIELD, of Lowell, county ofMiddlesex, State of Massachusetts; have invented an Improvement inLooms, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and numerals onthe drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to that type of looms for weaving wherein meansare provided for automatically effecting a change of filling when thefilling in the shuttle fails or becomes exhausted, looms of this typebeing shown in United States Patents N 0. 454,808, dated June 23, 1891,and No. 529,940, dated November 27, 1894, to which reference may be had.In such looms the filling feeder or hopper at times becomes empty beforethe attention of the attendant is directed thereto, and ordinarily theloom will continue to run, the transferrer operating, and the stoppageof the loom will not be effected until the attendant notices that thefeeder is empty and he either stops the loom or refills the feeder.Obviously the running of the loom is objectionable when the feeder isempty, as no useful work is effected, and the take-up mechanism maycontinue to work for some little time.

My present invention has for its object the production of means forautomaticallyeffecting the stoppage of the loom when the fillingfeederis exhausted.

The various novel features of my invention as herein embodied will befully described in the specification and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

Figure 1 is a front elevation, centrally broken out, of a sufficientportion of a loom to be understood with my invention embodied therein.Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional View thereof on the line so00, Fig. 1, the parts being shown in normal position. Fig. 3 is a detailview of the position assumed by the greater part of the mechanism shownin Fig. 2 after a double movement of the transferrer, and Fig. 4 is atop or plan View of the detent-pawl of the take-up.

The loom-frame A, the lay A and ratchetwheel T of the take-up mechanismand its actuating-pawlT are of usual construction,

asare the filling-fork F, operative at every alternate pick to detectthe presence or absence of the filling, and the operating rockshaft orrod F, rocked in usual manner upon failure of the filling, and saidparts need not be more fully described herein, as they form nopart of myinvention.

For convenience I have herein shown the loom as provided withfilling-supplying mechanism comprising a fixed hopper or feederB Blocated above the shuttle-box at one end of the lay, substantially as inUnited States Patent No. 454,808, dated June 23, 1891, and to whichreference may be had. It is to be understood, however, that my inventionis equally applicable to looms wherein the filling-carriers are mountedin a rotatable hopper or feeder, as in United States Patent N 0.529,940, dated November 27, 1894, in each case the freshfilling-carriers being presented singly to the action of a transferrerwhich at the proper time acts automatically to transfer a freshfilling-carrier to the shuttle and to eject therefrom thefilling-carrier therein.

I have herein shown the transferrer f as pivotally mounted on a stud fon the frame and having a depending leg f on which is fulcrumed anormally inoperative dog adapted when moved into operative position tobe engaged by a bunter O on the lay to operate the transferrer on theforward beat of the lay, the upward movement of the dog bein g limitedbya stop projection 3 on the legf The operating rock-shaft F is extendedthrough the loom side and has fast thereon at its outer end an arm I),provided with a laterally-extended stud b, on which is mounted acontroller 19 held by a suitable spring .9, Fig. 1, against the dog fWhen the shaft F is rocked upon failure of the filling, the arm 12 iselevated, moving the dog into the path of the hunter 0, and as theupward movement of the'dog is stopped by the lug 3 the spring 8 yieldsas the arm I) completes its swing. The free end of said arm is enlargedand has a substantially L- shaped slot b therein, Figs. 2 and 3, intowhich is extended a pin 4 on the controlling member 0 of the detent-pawld. .(Shown separately in Fig. 4.) i

The controlling member is fulcrumed on a stud e on the loom side, and itis so shaped that the pawl dis movable therein, a headed adjustable studon the pawl passing up through a slot 6 in the member 0 to preventseparation of the parts.

As shown in Fig. 2, the pawl 01 is slotted at d to embrace the stud eand slide therein when released by the member 0, the latter having adownturned lip c to engage one of a series of teeth d on the top of thepawl. Normally the pawl d rides over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel T inusual manner, holding the same as the pawl T is moved to take a freshhold, the lip c engaging the lowest one of the teeth Upon failure of thefilling the arm I) is swung inward, as described, and after the dog fhas been moved into operative position the pin t meets the outer end ofslot 19 and the member 0 is lifted carrying with it the pawl 01 farenough to lift it from the ratchetwheel T. As the movement of the arm I)is completed the pawl is released by its controlling member and it isfree to slide by gravity longitudinally on the stud c in an inwarddirection until stopped by the outer end of the slot d or by othermeans.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the shipper-lever S, held in the usual plate Nwhile the loom is running properly, is released from said plate at theproper time by a knock-off arm 70, fast on a rock-shaft extended acrossthe loom, as herein shown, said shaft having fast thereon a short armis, having a recess or hole k therein. (See dotted lines, Figs. 2 and3.)

The stopping mechanism for the loom comprises the usual fast and loosepulleys and belt-shifter, controlled by the shipper-lever S, the lattermember only of said mechanism being shown.

On the loom side adjacent the rocker-arm 70' I have pivoted at h anactuator for the stopping mechanism, shown as substantially a bell-cranklever h h, the arm h having a lateral extension 72?, while the arm h isprovided with a projection or pin k normally adapted to enter theaperture 70 in the arm 70.

The lower end of the leg f of the transferrer is provided with a toe fadapted to engage the extension 72 of the actuator and rock the same onits fulcrum h each time the transferrer is operated, such movement ofthe actuator tending to move the pin 7L into the aperture of arm 70without rocking the latter. Should the aperture be closed, however, themovement of the actuator will be imparted to the arm 70 to thereby rockthe shaft k and release the shipper-lever to effect stoppage of theloom.

In the embodiment of myinvention as herein shown I provide the pawl dwith an upturned extension 01 provided with a stud d, on which ismounted an intermediary (1 shown as a blade-like member adapted to bemoved by the sliding movement of the pawl between the rocker-arm 7c andthe actuator h h when said parts are separated. When said intermediaryis thus interposed, the stud 7L3 cannot enter the recess or aperture inthe rocker-arm, and the movement of the actuator by the transferrer willthereby be made effective to rock the shaft 70 and so effect stoppage ofthe loom. Now supposing the last filling-carrier in the feeder to havebeen transferred to the shuttle upon failure of the filling, either bybreakage or exhaustion, the filling-fork will detect it at the firstshot and, operating as described, will on the first forward beat of the.lay thereafter operate the transferrer. As the transferrer is operatingthe detent d will be withdrawn from the ratchet T; but before theintermediary d can move into operative position the actuator h h willhave moved to enter the stud 71, in the recess of arm 71",. Now as thelay moves back the detent will be lowered; but the lip 0 will engagethat one of the teeth d nearest the fulcrum of the pawl and theintermediary will be in position immediately adjacent the actuator androcker-arm. As the lay moves up the second time the transferrer will notbe operated, as at that pick the filling-fork is not operated. Thelet-back of the ratchet T, however, acts on the pawl 01 and moves ituntil the lip c engages the second tooth d corresponding to one pick;but the intermediary will be nearer the actuator and rocker-arm thanwhen in normal condition. At the third forward beat of the lay, whichwill be after the third shot of the shuttle, the filling-fork will notbe tipped, as there is no filling present, it being remembered that thehopper is empty. Accordingly the detent at will be again lifted as thelay moves up after the third shot and the transferrer will be operatedfor the second time, it in turn moving the actuator h h; but before thismovement of the actuator takes place the release of the detent permitsthe intermediary to move the short distance now required intooperativeposition, so that when the actuator is moved the rockerarm 70 will bemoved with it and the stopping mechanism operated by the third beat ofthe lay. The take-up pawl T is not lifted from the ratchet, and when thedetent d is inoperative the pawlT will rock the ratchet-wheel in onedirection, while the tension of the cloth will move it back as the pawlmoves forward. Thus there will be no gain in the take-up duringdisengagement of the detent, and when the shipper is reset to start theloom the de tent 01 will be moved back by the ratchet, so that it willresume its normal position relative to its controlling member 0 afterthree picks. Each pick corresponds to a tooth d on the detent, threesuch teeth being shown, and at each return movement of the take-up pawlthe lip c engages a tooth d nearer the free end of the pawl.

The pivotal mounting of the intermediary 61 is necessary in order topermit free movement thereof when the actuator moves the the hopper orfilling-feeder is empty, or if two successive filling-carriers shouldmisthread or the filling break in each, the term double operation of thetransferrer meaning the two operations thereof corresponding to twosuccessive failures of the filling-fork to detect the presence offilling. Primarily, however, my invention is devised to automaticallystop the loom when the hopper is empty, the absence of the filling beingmade effective to cause the operation of the mechanism at such time.

While Ihave shown the intermediary herein somewhat in the nature of agate to close the aperture or recess in the rocker-arm 10', my inventionis not restricted to such construction, for obviously other means forcausing effective operation of the actuator could be employed withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention.

By the term double failure of the filling used hereinafter in some ofthe claims I mean two failures of the filling which are detected by twosuccessive detecting movements of the filling-fork.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent is- 1. In aloom provided with filling-supplyingmechanism, including a transferrer, means operative upon failure of thefilling to actuate the transferrer, stopping mechanism for the loom, afilling-fork, and means controlled jointly by the transferrer and saidfillingfork, to effect operation of the stopping mechanism upon a doublefailure of the filling, substantially as described.

2. In a loom provided with filling-supplyin g mechanism, including atransferrer, means operative upon failure of the filling to actuate thetransferrer, stopping mechanism for the loom, means actuated by thetransferrer to effect the operation of the stopping mechanism, take-upmechanism, including a detent, and an intermediary governed by thedetent to cooperate with said transferrer-actuated means andstop theloom upon a double action of the transferrer, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a loom provided with filling-supplying mechanism, including atransferrer, means operative upon failure of the filling to actuate thetransferrer, stopping mechanism for the loom, an actuator therefor movedby each operation of the transferrelytake-up mechanism, including adetent, and an intermediary governed by the detent to cooperate with andrender the operation of the actuator eifective to causethe stoppage ofthe loom upon a double operation of the transferrer, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a loom provided with filling-supplying mechanism, including atransferrer operative upon failure of the filling to effect a change offilling in the shuttle, stopping mechanism for the loom, anormally-inoperative actuator therefor moved by the transferrer at eachoperation thereof, an intermediary adapted to cooperate with and renderthe movement of the actuator effective to stop the loom, and means tooperate said intermediary upon a double failure of the filling,substantially as described.

5. In a loom provided with filling-supplying mechanism, including atransferrer operative upon failure of the filling to effect a change offilling in the shuttle, stopping mechanism for the loom, including anapertured rockerarm, a pivotally-mounted actuator operated by thetransferrer and provided with a projection to enter the aperture in saidrockerarm, an intermediary adapted to be interposed between said arm andactuator, to thereby cause the former to be rocked, and means, operativeupon failure of the filling to move said intermediary into operativeposition upon a double failure of the filling, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. LITTLEFIELD.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. EDWARDS, A. O. HARMON.

